Throwing Guidelines

“There
is growing epidemic of injuries to the throwing arm and the number
one risk factor is year round baseball. Pitch count guidelines will
serve as the cornerstone of injury-prevention in youth baseball. The
goal is to educate parents and coaches." -- Dr. James R. Andrews, M.D.

Throwing Guidelines
• Develop
& maintain proper throwing mechanics. Improper throwing
mechanics increase force at shoulder & elbow.• Do
NOT pitch with persistent shoulder or elbow pain. See medical
professional if pain not resolved within 5 days.• Warm-Up
to throw. Do NOT throw to Warm-Up• De-emphasize
winning. High pitch counts & early use of breaking pitches to
“win” increases injury risk.• Avoid
year-round baseball. No throwing for 3 months between seasons to
allow throwing-arm to recover.• Follow
rest guidelines between outings.• Number
of pitches more important than number of innings for determining
rest.• Proper
rest & recovery allows adaptation by muscles, tendons,
ligaments, connective tissue, cartilage, & bone.• Follow
maximum pitch count guidelines. Direct correlation between high
pitch-counts & shoulder / elbow injuries.• Avoid
throwing breaking pitches until 14-16 years old or until athlete
begins shaving.• Ignore
radar gun readings. Young pitchers overthrow to impress scouts,
which increases risk of arm injuries.• Overthrowing
pitches to gain velocity is mechanically inefficient &
predisposes arm to injury.• Avoid
pitching in multiple leagues.• Do
NOT practice pitching after pitched game.• Do
NOT copy mechanics or conditioning programs of MLB players.• Do
NOT throw overweight or underweight baseballs, which alter throwing
mechanics.• Avoid
baseball pitching & football passing during same season.
Baseball pitching & football passing require different throwing
mechanics.
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